Portable collapsible smoke apparatus



my J. H. Voss 'PORTABLE coLLPsIBLE SMOKE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July' 9. 1951.

PORTABLE GOLLAPSIBLE SMOKE APPARATUS Filed July l$ 1951 21 Shee'tswhfaet i2 HT INVENTOR.

Patented July 21, 1953 GFFICEr` PORTABLE CVOLLAPSIBLE SMOKE APPARATUS John H. Voss, Chicago, Ill.

I Application July 19, 1951, Serial No. 237,577

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a portable collapsible smoke apparatus for smoking fish and other articles of food. A

My invention is especially useful to shermen and hunters who are desirous of smoking their catch while on a fishing or hunting trip.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a portable smoke apparatus which, by reason of its construction, may be collapsed to a small compact condition, aiiording carrying the apparatus about while in such collapsed condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable collapsible smoke apparatus which may be constructed at an economical cost and which may be highly efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing 'the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail'view taken substantially on line 2-2-of Fig. 1;`

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the same;

Fig. e is a sectional detail View taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View similar to'Fig. 1, but showing the front and rear walls in exploded relationwith respect to the'side walls;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View illustrating the side, bottom, and top walls in collapsed position; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 'I--I of Fig. 1.

My improved portableV collapsible smoke apparatus comprises a bottom wall I. Hinged to opposite corresponding edge portions of this bottom wall II) by suitable hinges II are side walls I2 and I3. The side wall I3 at its upper end portion is hinged as at I4 to a top wall I5. This top wall I5 has a ange I5 which overlaps the upper edge portion of the side wall I2. This ange I6 has open notches I'I formed therein for the reception of head-bearing pins I8, by means of which the top wall I5 is attached to the side wall I2.

Hinged as at I9` to the side wall I2 is an edge portion of a burner plate 2e having upturned flanges 2I and 22.

A supporting bar 23 is attached to the side wall I3 and provides a channel 24 which receives the depending flange of the burner plate 20. The

' plate 23.

burner plate 20 is spaced from the bottom wall I 0 to provide therebetween an ash chamber 26.

A draft regulator 21 of any approved construction is carried by the burner plate 2U.

Hinged as at 28 to the side wall I2' above and in spaced relation to the burner plate 2l] is a perforated plate 29. This perforated plate 23 has a depending flange 30 similar to the ange 25 and engaging in a channel 3l similar to the channel 24 and provided by a bar 32 carried by the side wall I3.v This perforated plate 29 is spaced above the burner plate 2B and provides therebetween a iire chamber 33.

Adjacent the top edges of the side walls I2 and I3 are parallelly extending confronting bars 34 having formed in their top edges notches 35 to receive the end portion of supporting rods 36 from which is suspended the article of food 31 to be smoked within the smoke chamber 38 provided between the top wall I5 and the perforated The perforations of the plate 29 are of sufficient diameter to permit smoke from the rebox to enter the smoke chamber 3S, while at the same time preventing the flame from striking the articles being smoked. This plate 29 also prevents the articles of food from falling into the Y fire should they drop from the supporting rods 36. The top wall I5 is providedewith a draft `4I and 442 is provided with perforations 44 Vthrough which pins project to attach the front and rear walls 4I and 42 to the top wall I5. The lower edge portion of each of the side iianges 43 has formed therein open notches 46 for the reception of pins 4'! carried by the side walls, thereby to complete a detachable connection between the front and rear walls and the side and top walls.

Suitable handles 48 are attached to the front and side walls to permit yready removal and mounting of these walls with respect to the side walls. The top wall I5 likewise has a finger button 49 which facilitates removal and mounting of thisV wall with respect to the side wall I2.

. To complete the invention, I provide in the front wall 4I a door 50 located opposite the burn-V 3 er chamber 33. This door 50 is provided with a latch arm l adapted to be disposed between the flange 2| and the adjacent portion of the door 50.

In use, the article of food to be smoked, which in the present instance is illustrated as a iish, is suspended within the smoke chamber 3B from the rods 36. A suitable re is made in the re chamber, and for this purpose there may be utilized hickory, maple, or cherry shavings, or the like. The amount of draft through the smoke chamber may be regulated by the draft regulators 27 and 39.

By removing the front wall 4l and rear wall 42 the device may be used as a grill for food, by placing the same on the perforated plate 29 above the burner chamber 33.

The apparatus when collapsed provides a relatively small parcel which may be easily and conveniently packed away or carried about without any undue exertion on the part of the user.

As is evident, the portable collapsible smoke apparatus may be manufactured at an economical cost.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modiiications as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A portable collapsible smoke apparatus for smoking iish or the like comprising a housing having a bottom wall, side walls hinged to the opposite corresponding edges of the bottom wall, a top wall hinged to a top edge of one of the side walls and having a iiange overlapping the top edge portion of the other side wall, said flange having receiving slots formed in its peripheral edge adapted to receive head pins carried by said side walls for detachably connecting said flange to said tcp edge portion of said side Walls, a burner plate having one edge hinged to the said other side wall and located above the bottom wall to provide with thebottom wall an ash chamber, means detachably connecting the opposite edge of said burner plate to said one side wall, a perforated plate having an edge hinged to said other side wall and located above and in spaced relation to the burner plate and providing together therewith and with the side walls a burner chamber, said perforated plate being spaced from the top wall to provide therewith and with the side walls a smoke chamber, means for detachably connecting the opposite edge of the perforated plate to said one side wall, means adjacent the top edge portions of said side walls for supporting an article of food within said smoke chamber, a front wall having iianges overlapping the side and top walls, a rear wall having anges overlapping the side and top walls, and means for detachably connecting the front and rear walls independently to the top and side walls respectively, said front wall having a hinged door opposite said burner chamber.

2. A portable collapsible smoke apparatus for smoking iish or the like comprising a housing having a bottom wall, side walls hinged to the opposite corresponding edges of the bottom wall, a top wall hinged to a top edge of one of the side walls and having a ange overlapping the top edge portion of the other side wall, said flangei having receiving slots formed in its peripheral edge adapted to receive head pins carried by saidl` sidewalls for detachably connecting said ange", to said top edge portion of said side walls, a burner plate having one edge hinged to the said other side wall and located above the bottom wall to provide with the bottom wall an ash chamber, means detachably connecting the opposite edge 0f said burner plate to said one side wall, a perorated plate having an edge hinged t0 said other side wall and located above and in spaced relation to the burner plate and providing together therewith and with the side walls a burner chamber, said perforated plate being spaced from the top wall to provide therewith and with the side walls a smoke chamber, means for detachably connecting the opposite edge of the perforated plate to said one side wall, means adjacent the top edge portions of said side walls for supporting an article of food within said smoke chamber, a iront walll having anges overlapping the side and top walls, a rear wall having flanges overlapping the side and top walls, and means for detachably connecting the iront and rear walls independently to the top and side walls respectively, said ront wall having a hinged door opposite said burner chamber, said top wall and said burner plate each having a draft regulator, and said bottom wall being disposed above the lower kedge portions of the side walls.

JOHN H. VOSS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

